


The Fox's Bride

by Scarlet_Sky



Category: EXO (Band), K-pop
Genre: Alternate Universe, EXO - Freeform, F/M, Fluff, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Kitsune, Reincarnation, Romance, Winter, kitsune baekhyun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:54:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28193523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarlet_Sky/pseuds/Scarlet_Sky
Summary: Kitsune!Baekhyun x ReaderWhen you find an injured little fox in the forest and bring him home, you wouldn't have guessed that the animal is actually a kitsune...
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Original Female Character(s), Byun Baekhyun/Reader, Byun Baekhyun/You
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	The Fox's Bride

Sunlight filtered through the treetops, painting pretty patterns of light and shadow on the snowy forest ground. It was a sunny winter day, wonderful for a little hike through the nearby woods. You hadn’t hesitated to leave the house as soon as you had been done with work. Wearing a pair of comfortable ankle boots and a warm winter coat, you made your way deeper into the forest, having a destination in mind.

Not long ago, you had moved to this quiet rural area in Japan, and you had quickly come to appreciate the serenity of the woods. It was a stark contrast to the bustling city of Tokyo where you had lived before. Leaving your friends behind had been difficult at first, but you had promised each other to meet whenever your schedules allowed it.

The soft snow crunched under your shoes as you walked. Your eyes darted over the trees surrounding the path, taking the snow-covered scenery in. The peaceful sounds of a small stream reached your ears, and soon you laid eyes on it as it snaked through the trees. Parts of it were frozen over, covered in a thin layer of ice. Some frost flowers bloomed at the edge, glimmering in the sunlight.

You smiled to yourself, putting your hands in the pockets of your coat to keep them warm. When the path made another turn, you reached your destination. It was a small Inari shrine made of wood and stones, decorated by two fox statues sitting left and right of it. Covered in moss and snow, the tiny structure was almost hidden from sight.

It looked just like your neighbor had described it to you and using her instructions, it hadn’t been hard to find. You kneeled to take a closer look at it, and that was when you heard it. A strange sound reminding you of a cry. Bewildered, you gazed around but found that you were alone. Nobody was near you, and yet you were sure you hadn’t just imagined the sound. Your curiosity compelled you to follow the strange noise. Walking into the undergrowth, you left the shrine and the path behind.

Each step made your shoes sink into the snow. The cold was beginning to seep under your clothes, causing you to shiver. You ducked under a low hanging branch and spotted something unusual. Curled up on the snow was a small fox. Its silver-white fur made it blend in with its surroundings, though its golden eyes glimmered like the sun, capturing your attention at once. Elegant red markings framed its eyes. They were unusual for a fox to have and you were sure you had never seen one like this before.

You froze, afraid to scare the fox away, but it did not move and simply watched you. Its ears were perked up, its fluffy tail curled around its body. The poor thing was shivering, and you wondered why it would lie down in the snow when it was freezing cold outside. Just when you wanted to turn and leave, you noticed something. The animal had blood on its front paws, indicating that it had hurt itself.

Frowning, you tried to get a better look at the bloody fur but were reluctant to approach it. What if you scared it? Then again, it looked more curious than anything and didn’t seem to view you as a threat. Its gorgeous golden eyes were following your movements calmly. As you got closer, a strange feeling washed over you. You had never experienced anything like it—it was a mix of serenity and a sense of safety. Encouraged by this, you crouched down in front of the white fox.

“Hello,” you said quietly, holding out your hand and letting it sniff it. The fox bopped your hand with its snout, letting out another whiny noise. Now you were sure that the animal had been the origin of the cry you had heard earlier. It was odd that it wasn’t in any way concerned by your presence. Usually, the forest animals would take off as soon as they sensed a human nearby, but this one seemed special.

Seeing it injured and shivering in the snow, a pang went through your heart. You couldn’t ignore a soul in need of help, whether it was human or animal. Not needing long to make a decision, you took off your warm wool scarf. The fox stayed perfectly calm as you wrapped it in the scarf with care. It let out a sigh when you picked the bundle up carefully and cradled it to your chest. You let the fox rest its injured front paws and its head on your shoulder and supported the rest of its body with your arms. Thankfully, it wasn’t particularly heavy, and not much bigger than a cat.

“I’m going to help you out, little fox,” you smiled and patted its back. Returning to the Inari shrine, you couldn’t help but think how odd it was to find a white fox close to the shrine of the fox god. It was a weird coincidence, but you didn’t think about it for long, instead making sure you didn’t lose track of the snowy path ahead of you.

The walk back home took slightly longer since your new companion was a bit difficult to carry for a long time. And on top of that, the fox was a cheeky one. It snuggled its head under your hair and sniffed your neck. The sensation of a wet tongue on your skin made you squeak.

“You little devil, I’m going to drop you!” you chided it and used one hand to push its snout away from your neck. The fox whined heart-wrenchingly like you had just stolen its favorite treat. You made it a point to push its snout away as much as the fox made it a point to lick your skin whenever you didn’t pay attention. Why it was dead set on doing that was beyond you. It acted very familiarly towards you as if it already knew you. Weren’t wild animals supposed to be scared of humans?

“Rascal,” you huffed. “I want to help you, and this is your thanks?”

For a brief moment, you thought that the fox sounded like it was laughing at you. How weird was that? Shaking your head at the strange idea, you pushed it aside.

The houses of the small town you lived in became visible behind the tree line. From here on it didn’t take longer than five minutes to reach your small and cozy home close to the woods. Since this area was very remote, living here was much cheaper than in Tokyo and the rent for your house was easy to pay. Furthermore, it was very beautiful, connected to nature in a way that you’d never seen while you had lived in a large city.

Reaching your front door, you unlocked it and let yourself in. Then you slipped off your snow-covered boots and headed into the warmth of your living room. You set the fox down on your couch. It had stopped shivering a while ago when you had carried it, and now it looked comfortable. Judging by the yawn it let out, it was either in a lazy mood or tired.

Leaving it for a moment, you took off your jacket and headed into your room to change into cozier clothes. Before you went back to the fox, you fetched antiseptic and a wet cloth to clean the fox’s wounds. It was sprawled over the sofa, gazing up at you with golden shimmering eyes.

For some reason, you felt drawn to this animal. The sense of familiarity it evoked in you was puzzling. It was like you knew this fox from somewhere, but you couldn’t place your finger on it. You couldn’t grasp why you would feel like this around an animal you had never seen before.

“You probably won’t like this too much,” you began as you sat down next to it, “But I need to take care of those wounds.” Meeting its eyes, you reached for its left paw and carefully held it in your palm. It was small and soft, and since the fox kept its claws retracted, you didn’t feel them. The fox observed your actions as you cleaned the bloody fur and added a little bit of antiseptic. Then you repeated the process with the second paw.

During the whole procedure, the fox didn’t fight or give any indication that it was uncomfortable. It baffled you. For a wild animal, it was surprisingly tame. Maybe even tamer than some pets. Had it perhaps been domesticated before? By someone in town? Just as you finished the thought, the little rascal licked over your fingers, drenching them in slobber.

“Ewww, what the…? Stop licking me all the time. Don’t tell me you love me that much,” you grumbled and glared at it.

The golden eyes of the fox gleamed as if it had understood what you had said. However, just like before, it didn’t listen to you and licked the back of your hand.

“You silly fox!” you said annoyedly and got up, hurrying to the bathroom to clean the slobber off. That fox didn’t have any manners… Then again, why expect it to? It was an animal, not a human. By the time you headed back to the living room, the fox had curled up on the sofa and closed its eyes. You let it be, walking to the kitchen to make dinner.

* * *

A few hours later, night had fallen and the sky had turned dark. The stars were hidden behind clouds—perhaps it would snow tomorrow. The thought of that made you smile. You loved snow and seeing how it transformed the scenery completely. It appeared like someone had put a soft white blanket over trees and rooftops.

You were about to go to sleep, exhausted from the long day, but since the fox stayed with you, you were unsure what to do. The animal had eaten earlier, and you’d offered it water too. It had looked content since then and snuggled up to you on the sofa as you’d read a book. The warmth of its body and your comfortable position had made you sleepy. Gazing at the fox and seeing that it wasn’t in a hurry to leave, you opted to let it stay the night. It was lying on the sofa unbothered, so you turned off the lights and entered your small bedroom.

You lay down on your bed and tucked yourself in. However, only minutes later, you heard a quiet tapping. Then, your door creaked and you opened your eyes to spot the fox putting its head into the room. As soon as it saw you, it came in and elegantly jumped on the bed. Surprised, you gasped, being face to face with the animal. Its golden eyes glowed in the dark, boring into yours. You were taken aback, noticing for the first time how intelligent they seemed. Like this animal knew exactly what you were thinking just by reading your startled expression. _Odd_.

But what was even more peculiar was its white fur. It had a slight shine to it, radiating soft shimmering light. Rubbing your eyes in disbelief, you took a closer look at it, but it remained the same. The fox was _glowing_? You had to be hallucinating, there was no other explanation.

It bopped your nose, surprising you once more when its snout touched you. After that, it curled up next to your body like it was the most normal thing to do. You could only stare at it in astonishment. It looked like a glowing white furball with cute ears and a fluffy tail. Its eyes formed crescents when they were closed, the red markings around them standing out.

“You’re so pretty,” you mumbled, entranced by it. Your hand touched its back, raking through its silky fur. This time, you were sure you heard a chuckle. Soft and mischievous. Where could it have come from though? There was nobody else in the house, and foxes didn’t chuckle like this. They didn’t have pleasantly silky voices. You were probably too tired to think properly.

Yawning, you hugged the fox by instinct and it pushed its body closer to you. With your new companion at your side, you fell asleep soon.

That night, you had a very vivid dream. Maybe the clearest you had ever had.

You stood in front of the Inari shrine you had visited hours before. The snow surrounding you should have been cold considering you were in your pajamas, but you didn’t feel the freezing temperatures. You were warm as if this was a summer day.

Your attention was drawn by a person appearing in between the snow-covered trees. It was a man you had never seen before yet felt an unexplainable connection to. Petrified in awe, you didn’t move an inch, watching him come closer with bated breath. The first you noticed was his white hair that had a silver shine as the sunlight bathed it in its warm glow. Two fox ears protruded from his head, prompting you to stare in fascination. The red hakama he wore was made of expensive silk, as was his white kimono. He was taller than you, had a lean built.

When his golden eyes met yours, you had an epiphany. “I-Inari?” you asked, stuttering nervously.

Could it be that he was the fox god himself? The red marks under his eyes were identical to those you knew from Inari masks sold at festivals. You didn’t have any other explanation for what you saw—he had fox ears, glowing eyes, even wore traditional clothing.

He tilted his head, his lips curving up amusedly. “Not quite,” he replied.

You didn’t dare speak another word as he came to stand in front of you, fearing that your voice would break. As if he knew what kind of effect he had on you, he smirked confidently. His hand took a lock of your hair. He placed a kiss on it before letting it fall. Leaning closer, his mouth hovered next to your ear. You were engulfed in his unnatural aura, felt it prickling on your skin.

“I’m Baekhyun. Don’t you remember me, sweetheart?” he whispered, his lips grazing the shell of your ear. The moment you touched marked the abrupt ending of your dream. Your consciousness faded as you fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

The next morning started very chaotically. When you walked into the kitchen to make breakfast, you were met with an evil surprise. The fox had made a mess, opening a drawer without trouble. Many different kinds of sweets were strewn across the counter and the floor. Somehow, the little brat had managed to rip open the plastic with its teeth, snacking on chocolate and candy alike. When it saw you, its eyes became wide, but then it just sat down and watched you innocently, its tail wagging.

Your eyebrows raised and your jaw dropped. “What the actual fuck?!” you screeched. “Fox! You… How… just how?! Look what a mess you made!”

The fox had the audacity to yawn, blinking at you with its golden eyes. You cursed silently and went to gather the candy all over the floor to put it back where it belonged. The fox watched you and let out a weird noise that could have been a laugh, had it been human.

“Yeah, make fun of me, you rascal,” you grumbled, picking up the last chocolate bar and putting it back in the drawer. “This is very unhealthy for an animal.”

“I’m not an animal.”

You froze. Icy fear seeped into your heart as you turned, expecting to see the owner of the male voice standing behind you. A burglar, a robber, or even worse… However, you were met with an empty kitchen safe for the fox. You stumbled back and held onto the counter for support, your knees weakening.

“W-What was that?” you forced out.

The fox studied your fearful face closely and whined at you. It got up and rubbed its body against your legs to comfort you. Your racing heartbeat calmed. Again you made your mind responsible for the weird things that had been occurring to you since yesterday. _Since you’d picked up the fox._

Your eyes moved to it, and when you saw its golden iris, you were reminded of the dream you’d had just hours before. The man in that dream—Baekhyun—had had the exact same eye color. Was that merely a coincidence? Had your mind conjured him up somehow?

You willed your weird thoughts away and concentrated on the task at hand, preparing breakfast. After that, you took another look at the fox’s wounds only to find that they had healed. There was not a trace of them left. You made sure to check both paws, and they were fine. How was that possible after only one night?

“Looks like you’re okay now,” you said to it and patted its head affectionately. “That means you can leave.”

Vocalizing those words made pain manifest in your heart. For whatever reason, you didn’t want to part with this being, but you knew that a wild fox couldn’t stay with you. It wouldn’t be right to keep it away from the forest where its true home was.

The fox jumped on your lap and suddenly licked over your face, from your chin over your lips. You flinched back, disgusted. “Eww, you little pig! What was that for?” you complained.

The fox barked cheekily and landed on the ground, wagging its tail. It made its way to the front door and glanced back at you as if to say, _“I’m going to leave now.”_

Your heart sank. Opening the front door for the white fox, you watched as it left the house, its paws leaving little indents on the snowy path leading to the street.

* * *

In the following days, the snowfall became more frequent, turning your surroundings into a winter wonderland. It was very pretty, but also very cold. Since you worked from home, you didn’t need to brave the snow-filled streets with your car and simply watched from the warmth of your house. You missed the fox and wanted it to come back so you could cuddle with it. Why you were so entranced by this being, you didn’t know, but you had the feeling that it was special in some way. Your attachment to a mere fox was strange, to say the least. You kept thinking about it, wondering if you should go back to the shrine to look for it.

However, it was the fox that came to visit you first. Three days after it had left, you heard a quiet rapping at your front door and curiously went to investigate. A strange feeling overcame you as you neared the door, the very same you’d already experienced when the fox had been near. That’s why you weren’t surprised to see it sitting there and looking up at you.

“Hello, little fox,” you cooed and kneeled to gently pet its head. It seemed to like being touched behind its ears, so that was exactly what you did.

It carried something between its teeth that it dropped in front of you on the snow. You picked it up curiously, noting that it was a small talisman made of red fabric with silver adornments. It was pretty, and you wondered where the fox had found it.

“Thank you,” you said and studied it, turning it in your hands. “Where did you get this?”

The fox watched you with its golden eyes. Of course, you didn’t receive an answer, but it came closer and snuggled up to your leg. Smiling softly, you brushed your hand through its silky fur.

“Do you want to come in?” you asked, but the fox shook its head. It licked your hand briefly and then turned to disappear into the snow. You gazed after it for a while, intrigued. Just how had this fox gotten ahold of such an elaborate talisman? You were beginning to think that you were dealing with something that was beyond your wildest imagination. Too many unexplainable things had been happening lately, and they made you brim with curiosity.

When you went to sleep that night, you put the talisman on your nightstand, unknowingly inviting a certain someone into your dreams. You were brought back to a familiar place you had visited once in reality and once in your dream.

The small Inari shrine was covered in a white blanket of ice. Snowflakes were falling, slowly raining from the sky. As you walked closer, you laid eyes on Baekhyun. Snowflakes stuck to his silver fox ears and white kimono. His gaze was focused on you as if you were a magnet, drawing him in. Speechlessly, you stared at the handsome stranger.

“We meet again,” he said in his pleasant velvety voice. “Did you like my present?”

The gears in your head were turning as you pieced together what he was talking about. “You mean the talisman? I did like it… thank you,” you said confusedly. “Were you the one who sent the fox to my house?”

“I see you haven’t figured it out yet,” Baekhyun said and stood in front of you. “Tell me, don’t you remember me at all? Have you forgotten about me?” His smile faded and a sad frown took its place. He seemed disappointed and his ears drooped.

You wanted to open your mouth and answer, but the dream ended abruptly. The last you saw was his melancholic golden eyes.

* * *

After you woke up in the morning, you felt a strong pull. It was a powerful urge to leave the house and to seek out the Inari shrine in the woods. You had no explanation for it—something told you to go, and it was _tenacious_.

The longing in your chest couldn’t be quelled. It couldn’t be ignored. And so you did the inevitable, slipping on your warm jacket, your scarf, and winter boots. Well protected from the cold, you left the house and hiked up the path into the snowy forest. It was a particularly cold day, and it didn’t take long for you to begin shivering despite your warm clothes. You picked up your pace, moving through the forest with purpose.

As if some sort of invisible string was pulling you towards the shrine, you couldn’t stop and you couldn’t turn back either. Your curiosity sparked, you let yourself be led by the desire to meet _him_.

Your racing thoughts came to a sudden halt. Who even was this _Baekhyun_? “And why would I meet him in real life?” you mumbled. “I just made him up… what’s wrong with me?”

Your steps slowed as you reached the Inari shrine. The fox statues left and right of it were dressed in white. The snow glimmered in the faint sunlight filtering through the clouds and treetops.

“Are you searching for someone?” a voice said and prompted you to direct your gaze to the trees to your left.

Your jaw dropped and your eyes went wide. “Y-You…! You were in my dream!” you shouted before you could stop yourself. It was Baekhyun. His red hakama and silken kimono were even more gorgeous in this lighting, as was his messy white hair and the fox ears on his head. You wanted to touch them, to test if they were real.

“That’s an interesting way to say hello to someone,” he smirked and winked flirtily. “You dreamed about me, sweetheart?” His grin made it all the more obvious that he was messing with you and already knew the answer to his question.

You blushed. “Yeah, I did…” you muttered embarrassedly, realizing how weird you sounded. “Just how did you get in my dream?”

“Because you invited me,” he said. “You let me sleep next to you, and you accepted my talisman.”

“S-Sleep next to…” you trailed off, your cheeks growing hotter. “ _You_ are the fox?”

He nodded. “Finally you figured it out,” he laughed. “Was it that hard, hm? I’m a kitsune, and I can change my form to that of a fox.”

You were trying to wrap your head around this new revelation, and as you remembered the fox’s mannerisms, it was fairly obvious that it couldn’t have been a mere animal. It had been too tame, not fearing you and even sleeping snuggled up to you. _Kitsune_ were real, and one of them had, for some reason, taken an interest in you. It was a mystery to you how this was possible. Maybe it was because you had helped him and brought him to your home. Maybe he felt grateful?

“Why were you hurt when I found you?” you asked, a hint of concern discernible in the tone of your voice.

“I’m the guardian of this forest and I had to get rid of a few yokai that were intruding here,” he shrugged. “I would have healed soon enough on my own, but since you insisted on taking care of me, how could I have refused?” he grinned cheekily. “It’s very unusual for a human to be able to see me in my fox form. ”

“Wait, is something wrong with me?”

“No, not at all. On the contrary, you are someone very special. I’ve been waiting for you to return to me. You’ve taken your time, sweetheart.”

Your head was filled with unanswered questions, but they all evaporated like steam when he suddenly closed the distance between you. His aura washed over you like warm rain on a summer day. The unexplainable pull you’d felt earlier was back and drew you in, coaxing you to approach him.

He reached his hand out to let his fingers trail over your cheek to your hair, brushing over it tenderly. His yellow eyes were brimming with affection and something else you couldn’t identify just yet. Silence settled over you, but it was comfortable and not awkward at all. The connection between you was strong despite only having met days ago. You had the sense that there was more to it, but you couldn’t explain what it was.

“I missed you, sweetheart,” he murmured. “I was hoping you would return here sooner.”

“You waited here… for me?” you said in astonishment.

“Yes,” he smiled, his golden eyes twinkling. “You felt the pull, didn’t you? It was fate that brought you here.” Your breath hitched as his thumb brushed over your lower lip.

“Or do you really think you found me by mere coincidence?” he whispered and leaned in.

Your heart palpitated in your chest. Warmth flooded your body, pooling in your stomach. Why was it that his proximity made you feel this way? He was irresistible, his gorgeous honey eyes beckoning you to trust him, to close the last bit of distance that separated you. And you were all too ready to.

His thumb and index finger touched your chin and tilted it up. He leaned down and the distance between you dwindled. The prickling sensation of his aura poured over you. He kept his fiery gaze locked with yours when he kissed you for the first time. Instantly, a fire was ignited within you, its golden flames the color of his iris. You were shocked at how good it felt to have his lips on yours—was it normal to be this comfortable with a stranger? _It wasn’t._ He didn’t feel like a stranger at all, more like someone you had known for a long time.

Someone you’d once lost and now were reunited with.

His gentle hold on your chin didn’t waver when he deepened the kiss, exploring your mouth with his tongue. His other hand wandered over your back, caressed your neck, brushed over your hair adoringly. Him treating you like you were a priceless treasure made your heart swell. You had so many questions, and yet you didn’t hesitate to trust Baekhyun.

“I’m glad you’re finally back,” he murmured as he ended the kiss. Your eyes widened, barely picking up his quiet words.

“What do you mean by that?”

He cupped your cheeks, touching you cautiously as if you were a delicate feather made of glass. Tiny snowflakes landed on his cheeks and melted when they touched his warm skin.

“You were mine a long time ago,” he said reluctantly. Heavy sadness and guilt darkened his golden eyes, turned them bronze. His shoulders sank in defeat, even his ears drooped a little. You bit your lip, your heart clenching. “Sweetheart, the truth is, this isn’t the first time we meet.”

“I… I do feel like I know you, even though I don’t remember you,” came your hesitant reply. You wanted nothing more than answers to your countless questions.

Baekhyun took a deep breath before he replied to you. “In your past life many centuries ago, you were my love. I’ve been waiting for your soul to be reborn, but it seems that you have lost all your memories of us.”

You stared at him in disbelief as he gazed at you openly and with earnest eyes. He wasn’t lying to you. The pain in his gaze was real, the sadness that surrounded him nearly tangible. How you wished you could remember just to see him smile for you. But he was right, your memories were lost. Only deep within you was a strong conviction that you could trust him. It was all that remained of your past life.

“I’m sorry, Baekhyun,” you said sadly. “I don’t remember the time we spent together. Would you tell me about it?”

Encouraged by your interest, his eyes lit up, glimmering amber. Lips forming a smile, he took your hands. “Gladly.”

* * *

_During the Edo period, you used to be the daughter of a rich lord. Since you were anything but the tame young lady that your father wanted you to be, you often escaped into the forest instead of listening to him. Everyone in town knew what a silly girl you were and they treated you as such, often berating you._

_When you were but fifteen years old, you discovered that you could see what was hidden to other humans. You were able to lay eyes on the yokai roaming the forest and while some of them were quite cute and playful creatures, others were malicious demons waiting to shed blood._

_One day, as you played in the forest, you were attacked by such a yokai, and it was only thanks to a white fox that your life was spared. That was the first time you ever saw Baekhyun and it wouldn’t be the last. Curious about the fox, you came back to the forest despite the dangers lurking there, and eventually, he showed you his true form._

_Over the next years, you became close friends, meeting as often as possible. As you grew older, you developed feelings for him, and it was on your nineteenth birthday that you shared your first kiss. You were overjoyed and escaped to the forest as often as possible to see him. However, your secret relationship with Baekhyun wasn’t meant to last._

_Your father urged you to marry and to accept a suitor, but you were not interested in any of those pretentious men. Marriage was something you dreaded with all your heart. Many other girls your age had been married already, but you refused to agree to a wedding. Eventually, your father saw no other option but to force you. He chose someone your future husband and before you knew it, you were locked into your room, forbidden from leaving the residence._

_As the dreaded day of the wedding came closer, you lost your smile. Your hope to be with your true love was withering away as time passed by. It seemed that there would be no happy ending for you and Baekhyun._

_When you didn’t return to the forest for a week, Baekhyun grew worried and hurried to your home. He used his magic to blend in with the residents, but he was unable to find you._

_The day of your wedding arrived too soon. With your heart shattering in your chest, you stood next to the stranger you were supposed to marry. The coldness in his eyes scared you, and so you refused to go along with the wedding, instead attempting to flee. Furious about your actions and his humiliation, your heartless fiancé pulled his sword and killed you before you even made it to the edge of town. You lost your life without ever seeing Baekhyun again and as you were dying, he was all you could think about. Baekhyun learned of your death the moment it happened, sensing that something terrible had occurred—but he was too late to save you and he couldn’t bring you back to life._

* * *

The story he told you was tragic, and it evoked a deep sadness in you. Even without your memories, there was a foreign pain in your heart as he recounted what had happened. You could feel the longing deep within you when he told you about your past, and you knew that every word was the truth. It saddened you that you didn’t remember anything, but you decided to make the most of the second chance that you had been granted. This time, nobody stood in the way of your relationship. You were free to be with whoever you wanted.

You were eager to learn more about Baekhyun and to uncover all the secrets that still surrounded him. He on the other hand wanted to spend every minute of his days with you, now that he had finally found you.

You made it a habit to visit him at the Inari shrine, but more often than that, he came by your house. Since he had an obsession with candy, you always made sure to have enough at home so he could snack on them while he told you stories of a time that had long since passed.

After a few weeks, you two had fallen into a routine, spending every free minute together and getting to know each other. It was all too easy to fall for the kitsune’s charms. Whenever he was near you, your heart would palpitate in your chest. More often than not, you would blush, and he loved teasing you about it. The two of you were acting like a couple, sharing kisses occasionally and cuddling together.

Today, he had come by to visit you again. As you were sitting in your living room, cozily bundled up in a blanket with him, you were truly happy. You leaned your head on his chest and drew soft circles on the fabric of his kimono. He sighed contently, breathing a kiss on your forehead.

“You look tired,” he whispered. “Why don’t you go to sleep soon, sweetheart? You worked a lot today.”

“It’s too early. Besides, I prefer staying with you.”

“Stubborn,” he chuckled. “You might fall asleep within the next few minutes.”

You sighed and gazed at him, your eyes moving to the top of his head, tracing the outline of his fluffy ears. Your very obvious staring didn’t stay unnoticed for long, and Baekhyun smirked to himself when he saw.

“You may touch my ears, by the way,” he snickered.

“Um… how did you…?” you trailed off, being caught red-handed.

“Oh come on, you were staring at them! How could I not notice?” he grinned. “And besides, you used to do that all the time. You really aren't that different from back then. Your mannerisms are just the same. It’s adorable.”

You were a little embarrassed he saw through you so easily, but his bright smile and the dimples that accompanied it made you forget about it. You raised your arm and your fingers touched his soft ears. They felt quite similar to those he had when he was in his fox form, they were just a bit bigger now.

“Very fluffy,” you mumbled in awe, so preoccupied with what you were doing that you didn’t see the light blush coloring his cheeks. “I could touch them all day.”

“Well, I won’t stop you,” he said under his breath and closed his eyes, relaxing under your touch.

“Do you like that, hm?” you asked amusedly.

“Maybe,” he replied.

You giggled, studying his relaxed features, his closed eyes, and the dreamy smile on his lips. Your cheeks warmed at the endearing sight. Little butterflies took flight in your stomach, and you were filled with pure joy.

That was the moment in which you realized you were head over heels in love with him.

* * *

Baekhyun stayed the night at your home, and when you both woke up the next morning, your house was snowed in. The entire garden was covered in a thick layer of white, and while it looked beautiful, it would also make it very difficult to reach the street. You panicked and wanted to get up right away to grab the snow shovel, but Baekhyun held you back. He snaked his arm around your waist to keep you lying in bed.

“Stop, you can do that later,” he murmured into your ear, still half-asleep. His ears twitched when he heard your sleepy voice.

“But… we’re snowed in, I can’t just—”

“Yes, you can,” he said and hugged you tightly. There was no way you could get the stubborn kitsune to budge, so you sighed and leaned into him. “Just let us stay like this a while longer. Please, sweetheart.” He planted a kiss on your temple, unknowingly making you swoon. Your heartbeats accelerated and suddenly you were wide awake.

“Okay, you win, Baekhyun,” you said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good,” he answered in a husky tone and nuzzled his nose into your neck. His warm breath on your skin made you shudder, and his teasing kisses had heat rush through your body. He loved peppering your neck in kisses, loved to lick and nip at your skin. His strange habit made your head spin with bliss and want. And you were sure he knew about the effect he had on you since you’d caught him smirking.

You buried your hand in his hair, caressed his ears with your fingers. Your actions made him go still. He let out a delighted sigh, resting his head on your collarbones. Smiling, you continued to pet his ears and head, and before you knew it, he was hugging your waist. Being so close to him made your heart soar, and you wondered if he’d noticed the feelings you harbored for him. Had he perhaps heard the fast rhythm of your heartbeat in his proximity?

He meant a lot to you, and you would love to spend your life with him. You were sure that he felt the same way. After all, he had pursued you from the moment he saw you in the forest. Why would he go through all the trouble if he didn’t at least like you? Perhaps you should confess to him soon… There was only one thing holding you back. It made your heart sink like a stone in water.

You and he were too different to be together. He was a kitsune and he could live for centuries, while you as a mere human would wither away eventually. You would grow old and die and he would retain his youth. Your story would end the same way it had in your past life. Wouldn’t it break his heart if you died again?

You stopped caressing his ears. Your eyes were filled with tears only waiting to spill over. Baekhyun noticed the change and lifted his head to look at you. His golden eyes darkened, appeared bronze when he saw the sorrow in your expression, your sad frown.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” he asked concernedly.

You were reluctant to share your worries with him because you didn’t want to make him sad. However, you knew that this issue would have to be addressed sooner or later, so you decided to get it over with.

“I’ve been thinking… you as a kitsune are going to live much longer than me. Eventually, I’m going to age and die. I don’t want to leave you again,” you said sadly. Knowing how much grief your death had caused him, you couldn’t bear the thought of it happening once more.

He shot you a long look, hesitating. “There is a solution for that, but I think it’s still too early to propose it,” he said. “Please don’t worry about it, I promise you don’t need to be concerned.”

You widened your eyes and sat up straight, your eyes boring into his. It wasn’t too early—you needed to know _now_! “No, tell me about it!” you urged him.

Who was he to refuse you when it was bothering you so much? The look you gave him was desperate, and it showed him how much this meant to you. His golden eyes softened. He gently took your hand, squeezing it.

“Will you become my bride?” he asked.

You blushed. “Yes,” you said breathlessly. “I love you, Baekhyun, and I want to stay with you.”

The smile that bloomed on his lips couldn’t have been any brighter. His dazzling golden eyes sparkled. Even his otherworldly aura changed, became warmer.

“I love you too, my sweetheart,” he replied, leaning in to kiss you. You felt a strong sense of belonging as his sweet scent enveloped you. The corners of your mouth quirked up in happiness. He’d waited for so many years, never knowing if he would find you, but it had all been worth it in the end. His arms embraced you protectively.

This time, he wouldn’t let anyone take you from him.

This time, your story would have a happy ending.

**Author's Note:**

> ❄️ Author's Note: ❄️  
> I planned around 5k words for this oneshot, but of course it got much longer than that because I'm really bad at keeping my writing short. I could have gone into more detail with their shared past, but I decided not to because Reader lost her memories... and the oneshot would have been ridiculously long with that. LMAO  
> I hope you liked this little story. Let me know what you think in the comments!  
> Happy Holidays, stay safe and healthy!


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